


Little Errands

by sunspot (unavoidedcrisis)



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Skeletons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-07 04:50:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16401635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unavoidedcrisis/pseuds/sunspot
Summary: Aveline wishes, for once, that Kirkwall would surprise her and give her a single day of peace. Instead, Kirkwall gives her skeletons.





	Little Errands

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sprocket](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sprocket/gifts).



> Happy Hallowe'en!

"No sweat, we can handle it, Hawke."

Aveline trades a look with Merrill, but neither says anything. Varric's just like this, they've seen it enough times before. Hawke asks for something (and it always seems borderline reasonable when she says it, because she has a way like that, but there's always a catch with Hawke, and it usually comes in the form of something violent leaping out of the shadows) and Varric leaps to promise it done.

They trail on behind him as he leads the way through alleys and tunnels. Night in Lowtown isn't good for a walk, even for Varric, known as he is.

Aveline keeps one hand lightly on the pommel of her sword as they make their way through Lowtown. Varric has Bianca prominently on his back, though he knows almost all of the thugs they may come across by name. Only Merrill seems thoroughly unbothered, walking as if on air, smiling in her uniquely Merrill way at the people who glower at them as they pass.

A man lunges from a side alley, grabbing at Merrill. There's a flash of something in his hand, a dagger probably, and Aveline unsheathes her blade in one motion, matching Varric's stance. Before Aveline can even say anything in her deepest, most commanding guard voice, Merrill clobbers him over the head with her staff and steps away. Her smile never falters.

Aveline has questions, as she frequently does with the ragtag group Hawke's accumulated, but she doesn't ask. She asked once. She won't make that mistake again. Isabela talked for hours, and then followed her home and talked more. It was far more information than Aveline, or anyone, needed. 

The Gallows are a thousand times more imposing at night, which is no small feat. Aveline's skin crawls whenever she's nearby, regardless of how sunny it is or who she's with. She's spent enough time with Hawke to have exposure to Anders; she's heard all about mages and templars, but there's more than just that in The Gallows. Old, lingering pain, enough to set the hair on her arms on end.

"Not a nice place," Merrill murmurs, saving Aveline from saying anything. Aveline steps closer to Merrill and they both hurry to close ranks with Varric.

"Hawke said… what was it?" Varric stands in front of the mildly unsettling statue and stares at the brick wall in front of them.

Aveline knew he'd ask when Hawke first started reciting the directions to find the hollow brick that held… whatever they were here for. "Four up, three across right, then nine up and six across left." 

"Couldn't it just be thirteen up and three left?"

"It could have been, Merrill, but then it wouldn't be a Hawke errand." Aveline watches as Varric counts out the bricks and then pulls out his penknife to loosen the supposedly-hollow one.

Varric chuckles. "Truer words never spoken, Aveline."

The front of the brick comes off in his hand and inside the nook is a small soft cloth bag. It's up Varric's sleeve before Aveline gets a very close look. 

Varric turns to face them with quirked eyebrows. "This place sucks; let's get out of here before --"

He can't get the words out before there's a ruckus behind them and Varric's drawing Bianca again. Aveline wishes, for once, that Kirkwall would surprise her and give her a single day of peace. Instead, Kirkwall gives her skeletons.

She counts at least six before a jet of green light wraps around one it clatters to the flagstones. Merrill whips her staff around herself, letting it fling beams into the old bones, and fells another one as Aveline crashes into another with her shield. Varric isn't much help, firing bolts through rib cages and cursing when they shatter on the close walls.

Merrill wallops a skeleton and as her staff flies through it, Varric drops down onto his stomach to avoid losing his head.

Bony claws rake across Aveline's cheek as she smashes the last one, but the dust settles and there's no further injuries. She dabs at the blood with the edge of her sleeve.

"A bit odd, skeletons, here?" Merrill asks, nudging a pile of bones. "Do you think we should investigate?"

"Hanged Man," Varric says, brooking no argument as he hauls himself up off the ground.

The trip back to the inn only includes one more tense moment, but Varric holds tightly and Merrill and Aveline unwraps the wire from the pigeon's wings and it flies off.

* * *

Hawke grins and peeks inside the pouch before spiriting it away into one of her many pockets.

"Aw, thanks Varric, thanks ladies. Was it tricky to find? Ewald said an idiot could find it…"

"We found it fine, but some skele --"

"Great!" Varric says, too brightly. Aveline and Merrill share a familiar look and a smile before Hawke thinks of something else and they start all over again.


End file.
